The Premier League and English Football League (EFL) are set to hold talks early next year about allowing live broadcasts of all 3pm Saturday kick-offs for the first time. The UK remains the last country in Europe to enforce the so-called 3pm blackout, which prohibits live television coverage of football matches during that time slot.
Both leagues are seeking to sell every match to domestic broadcasters in the next rights cycle to boost revenue. Currently, the Premier League and EFL show a record 270 and 1,059 matches respectively on domestic television each season, primarily on Sky Sports. However, they have concluded that broadcasting all games is the only way to increase income.
The EFL's current deal with Sky Sports, worth £935 million over five years, allows the broadcaster exclusive live rights to 1,059 matches per season from the Championship, League One, League Two, the Carabao Cup, and the EFL Trophy. If the blackout is removed, the EFL could make all 1,891 of its matches available. The Premier League's domestic deal with Sky Sports and TNT Sports, valued at £6.7 billion over four years, has seen a real-terms decline of 23% due to an extra year and an increase in the number of games from 215 to 270.
Many American owners of Premier League clubs have been pushing for the blackout to be lifted, as live broadcasting of all games is standard in US sports. The blackout is governed by Article 48 of Uefa's statutes, which allows territories to block live football broadcasts for two and a half hours on Saturdays or Sundays. In England, it applies when 50% of Premier League and Championship matches are scheduled for Saturday at 3pm. The Football Association (FA), which is responsible for applying Article 48 if requested by the leagues, is unlikely to object to its removal.
If the blackout is lifted, 3pm Premier League kick-offs would be broadcast across the UK, potentially affecting attendances. The leagues may also face compensation demands from Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, where Article 48 is still enforced.
